Dreams of Destiny
by fireflyrocks168
Summary: Gwen has a hidden secret and she dreams of her destiny. A destiny that will hurt those she loves the most. Pairings eventually: Gwen/Merlin, Gwen/Arthur, Arthur/Merlin and Gwen/Lancelot.
1. Chapter 1

**Dreams of Destiny**

_**This is my first attempt at a fanfic and I'm not sure if it's any good!**_

_**At first it was meant to be an Arthur/Merlin story but has become a more ambitious story, hopefully, which will cover most of Gwen's life and it is told mainly from her point of view. I have completely changed Gwen's back story, so fingers crossed you like it!**_

_**Pairings (eventually!): Gwen/Merlin, Gwen/Arthur, Arthur/Merlin and Gwen/Lancelot.**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **_

*****

Merlin smiled as he watched Gwen sleep. She was squashed beside him in the small, single bed that Merlin had set up in Gaius' back room upon his arrival at Camelot. Yet to Merlin she looked almost regal in the moonlight that glistened softly through the window. She was dreaming peacefully and the thought of waking Gwen from her slumber pained him. However, it would not do for her to be caught sneaking out of Gaius' apartments early in the morning especially when dressed in the same clothes as the day before. He decided though to give her a few more minutes before waking her.

In her dreams, Gwen was a girl again, reliving her carefree days. She was still young now, she thought smiling into the pillow, but six years had passed since she had arrived in Camelot at the tender age of 14. Six years since she had last seen any member of her family. A tear rolled down her cheek but in her sleep she did not notice it or Merlin's hand gently wiping it away. She was playing with her five sisters in her dream in a field just outside the city of her birth. The sun was beating down on them, the sky was fresh and clear. They laughed together, dancing in a circle as their mother watched on.

The tone of the dream shifted, a cold jewelled hand was being extended to her. She was expected to kiss it. Briefly Gwen glanced at her mother standing in front of her. Her mother gave Gwen the smallest of nods and Gwen kissed the jewel on the hand before tilting her head upwards to stare deep into the piercing eyes of her father.

Again the dream changed. She was lying in a grand bed. An arm was lovingly wrapped around her pulling her into a close embrace. She turned over and Gwen gasped as she came face to face with Prince Arthur. Suddenly, she was peering into Arthur's chambers, no longer in his bed. Gwen observed events seemingly from a great distance as she saw Arthur and Merlin move slowly towards each other. They were so close to each other and Gwen felt her breath catch in her throat. She blinked and when she looked at the pair again they were kissing hungrily, their hands roaming over each others' bodies.

Gwen sat up bolt right. Merlin was fast asleep beside her unaware of her sudden movement. She'd been having the same dream about her and Arthur and then him and Merlin for a couple of weeks now. Each time the dream became clearer, more focussed and occasionally a third man was involved, though she was yet to learn his name. To Gwen it seemed almost as if it was not a dream at all but a vision of the future. Indeed all her dreams appeared to incorporate her past and present so it was possible that she was also seeing the future.

In a moment, the thought became ridiculous to Gwen and she tried to forget it. Remembering where she was, she carefully slipped out of bed, pulled on her clothes and quietly escaped Gaius' apartment. She hurriedly headed to her own bedroom, aiming to get some more sleep before waking up early to do Morgana's laundry.

"Gwen!" The cheerful voice of Merlin rang around the courtyard. He raced to catch up with her. Gwen nonchalantly turned to smile at him and then double started. He was smeared with rotten fruit and veg and smelt appalling.

"Having fun in the stocks again I see!" She laughed. Merlin looked so happy for someone who had just been pelted with yesterday's leftovers.

"Oh yes!" He grinned. "Arthur wanted to ride out with Sophia again. I thought I'd made up a believable excuse this time but clearly not," he said pointing to his stained shirt.

At that moment Arthur clattered back into the yard on his trusted steed with Sophia beside him. The two servants were ahead of them laughing and joking, unaware of Arthur's gaze and the twinge of jealousy he had just experienced. He couldn't decide however whether he was jealous that Merlin was talking to Gwen or vice versa. Recently, he had acknowledged feelings for both, but he always attempted to dismiss the feelings he had for Merlin as ones of friendship. Conveniently forgetting the many lusty dreams he seemed to be having about his manservant.

Merlin left Gwen outside Morgana's room. He had planted a kiss on her lips before he left which she hadn't seemed so happy about, though Merlin couldn't blame her. Who in their right mind would want to kiss someone who smelt (and probably tasted) of rotten tomato? As he wandered towards Arthur's room he mused over the dream he'd had the night before. He had fallen asleep after thinking that he should wake Gwen and had found her gone once he had woken again. In his dream Arthur had been king and Merlin was at his side as his most loyal and trusted advisor as the dragon had foretold but he was also fulfilling other requirements which should have been the privilege of his wife, Gwen. However, Gwen seemed much too preoccupied with a dark stranger. Merlin blushed at the thought of what he had witnessed him and Arthur doing. He had often day-dreamed of such a thing but had dismissed it as a passing fancy, a simple crush. He would always remind himself that he had hated Arthur at first and now he was in a loving and rewarding relationship with Gwen, albeit a secretive relationship.

"Oh God Merlin, you really are an idiot!" Arthur groaned as Merlin opened the door and a rotting stench waved in to the room. Arthur's comment brought Merlin right back down to earth and his dirty thoughts evaporated from his mind. "Can you not tell a good lie?"

"Obviously not," Merlin replied trying as hard as he could not to sound annoyed.

"Please go and get washed," Arthur ordered. Merlin had his hand on the door and was about to leave when Arthur turned to him gazing almost tenderly straight into Merlin's eyes, "but thank you for today, you truly are a great friend." When Merlin had left, Arthur sat in his chair facing the window and staring out into the open fields he dreamt of the black haired boy.

As Merlin washed he thought of the first moment that he and Arthur had met and how much they had hated each other. It amused him that now he couldn't wait to spend more time with Arthur. It had been a glorious day when they had first met and first came to blows...

_**Any comments will be much appreciated. Hopefully more chapters will follow, but I don't have much time to write so it may take a while!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**I'm sorry this has taken so long to write but I have very little time available which is incredibly annoying when I have lots of ideas rattling around in my head! Unfortunately, because of the lack of time this chapter might not be as good as the first.**_

*****

Chapter 2

The majestic rise of the stone walls and turrets of Camelot above Merlin took his breath away. He had never seen anything so awe inspiring and extravagant, his own village was a squalor compared. The endless streets that twisted through a maze of buildings meant that Merlin lost his way more than once and he found Gaius' apartments hours after he was supposed to have arrived.

The shock of Merlin's arrival caused the old man to fall backwards off the balcony in his room. Merlin saved him from his fall using his instinctive magic but instead of receiving the expected thanks he got a reprimand instead. Gaius told him there was no place for magic in Camelot and if it were ever discovered that Merlin could perform magic he would be executed. From then on Merlin decided he would perform as much magic in Gaius' apartments as possible, to the amused annoyance of his guardian.

The same day, Gwen was yet again beating Morgana's rug outside her window when she noticed the new boy, Merlin, unwisely picking a fight with Prince Arthur. Gwen admired Merlin's bravery but it was all too obvious how the encounter was going to end and she grimaced when Merlin was forced onto his knees. At least it seemed he would only be facing the stocks for his 'impudence'. Gwen determined that she would go talk to him. Merlin intrigued her. His bravery and his desire to do his 'duty' or at least what he thought was right, reminded her of herself in days long past. Those days were ancient history though and she hated the cowardly subservient person she had become.

"No one has ever stood up to me before," Arthur mused as he returned to the castle following his 'fight' with Gaius' new assistant. Granted the young man, who had introduced himself as Merlin, hadn't known who he was but he admired his tenacity. Although he would never actually admit it, Merlin's questioning of Arthur's actions had been a breath of fresh air. Arthur was sick of everyone agreeing with him all the time and laughing along to his jokes just because they thought it would improve their chances of promotion! He bumped into Morgana's maid as she rushed down the stairs past him. She bumbled a quick apology before shooting off but Arthur barely noticed. No doubt she was going to see Merlin in the stocks, servants always 'stuck together'.

As she approached Merlin, Gwen suddenly felt very self conscious and nervous. Immediately aware of a loose hair in front of her face she twisted it behind her ear and almost sheepishly walked up to the stocks. Before she could back out Merlin had noticed her, smiling at her in between a tomato and leek attack.

"Hi, I'm Gwen." Gwen thrust her hand out for him to shake and then quickly realised her stupidity.

"I'm Merlin," Merlin replied after a face full of cabbage. "You shouldn't stand too close or they'll hit you as well!" Gwen took a step back, half tripping down the steps to the stocks.

"You're Gaius' new assistant aren't you?" Gwen asked not knowing what else to say. Merlin however couldn't reply except to nod as he was too preoccupied with flying fruit. "I thought...well...standing up to Arthur was very brave." She knew she was bumbling like a teenage girl with her first crush but she couldn't pull herself together and nerves, for some strange reason, jangled around her stomach. Merlin managed to mumble a thank you and something else which sounded like 'but I'm also an idiot'. Gwen laughed involuntarily.

So she couldn't say anything else to embarrass herself Gwen quickly said goodbye and stumbling slightly, walked away straight back to Morgana's chambers, along the way cursing herself for being so cowardly.

*****

Ahead of her in the street, Gwen spotted Merlin but she groaned inwardly when she saw that yet again he appeared to be picking a fight with Arthur. Did the boy not learn? Only yesterday he was in the stocks for questioning Arthur's form of target practice! Gwen watched from a distance as Arthur 'borrowed' two brooms from a nearby stall and promptly separated the handles from the bases. He tossed one handle to Merlin which he dropped earning him a jeer from Arthur's minions. Arthur didn't let Merlin collect his thoughts and lunged at him before Merlin had full grip of the handle he was picking up.

Dodging from right to left, Merlin had no hope of beating Arthur. Arthur was skilfully backing him into a wall and eventually when Merlin was completely at his mercy Arthur jabbed Merlin full in the stomach. He doubled up with the force of the blow, coughing and gasping for air as all the oxygen rushed out of his lungs. Before she really knew what she was doing, Gwen found herself striding through the crowd to stand between Arthur and Merlin.

"Stop! What do you think you're doing?!" The blood was boiling insider her. So much so that when she spoke it was if someone else was controlling her mouth. In her anger Gwen forgot who she was and who she was addressing.

"Aww! How brave Merlin. You get a girl to rescue you!" Arthur taunted. The words rang in Gwen's ears – she was not going to let him get away with this without a fight.

"And you're so brave yourself?" Gwen retorted. "Picking on people less skilled than you. You haven't even been in a proper battle!" Gwen sneered at Arthur.

"And you have?" Arthur replied. Gwen opened her mouth to answer back but this time she held her tongue. God knows how she'd be punished if she said the wrong thing. "Come on then," Arthur continued, "prove yourself." He bent over, picking up Merlin's abandoned broom handle and threw it to Gwen who caught it deftly. "Impressive," Arthur commented sarcastically, "you're already better than the weasel," he said pointing at Merlin who had clambered back to his feet. At the jibe, Merlin made as though to grab Arthur, but Gwen held out an arm to stop him. She didn't know where this newfound confidence had come from but she liked it. "That's it let the girl tell you what to do!" Merlin started forward again. Gwen checked him.

"Don't! I'll be fine." She had turned to look Merlin in the eyes to make him understand and when she turned back towards Arthur, Arthur took the opportunity to attack.

He lunged forwards with the handle and Gwen only just managed to dodge the well placed effort. It had missed her left shoulder by an inch. His next few blows were quick and skilfully executed. Gwen just about parried them all. The fight was faster than she remembered, she soon realised she had lost much of her speed and agility through years of not training. Arthur was stronger, fitter and instinctive. As he rained blow upon blow against Gwen's feeble blocks she found her muscles straining. It had not been like this before and she thanked God that none of Arthur's hits landed on her.

Slowly but surely her body began to remember what strikes to make, how to take opportunities when her attacker was at their weakest and how to react instinctively. Suddenly, she started her own attack. Arthur was taken by surprise. He thought he had had her on the defensive but as she placed a well aimed jab he only just managed to block it. Neither heard the gasps from the substantial crowd.

The fight was no longer one sided. Gwen had come into her own; it was her time to take the fight to Arthur. Arthur may have had years more practice than Gwen but she had a hunger to prove herself. Arthur parried stroke after stroke confidently but fear was building in his eyes. No one had ever fought him this long. Usually people acquiesced to his superior skill in under a minute. As he became more anxious to end the fight he took increasingly foolhardy chances. Gwen smiled as she realised that his desperate lunges were opening him up to an attack and Gwen could take advantage of his momentary weakness.

As Arthur swung his handle around to the left Gwen dodged it and placed all her strength behind the perfect jab. Her broom struck Arthur in the stomach and he partially doubled over from the blow. He didn't fall to the floor; he was too strong for that, so Gwen aimed another jab at his crotch. This time Arthur fell to the ground groaning in agony.

The sight of the Crown Prince of Camelot rolling around in the dirt in considerable pain brought Gwen back to her senses. In shock she dropped the broom handle and turned to run. She grabbed hold of a stunned Merlin and dragged him, running as fast as she could back to the castle and Morgana's chambers. She needed to put as much distance between her and Arthur as possible. Uther would kill her for this.


	3. Chapter 3

_**I'm sorry this has taken so long to write. This chapter follows on from the second and eventually the story will return to the events of the first chapter. There may be more flashbacks in the next few chapters as I will explain how Gwen came to Camelot.**_

_**Hope you enjoy.**_

**Chapter 3**

Uther sent for her as Gwen had predicted. Guards escorted her roughly to the Great Hall and tossed her carelessly inside. The solid oak doors were swung shut behind her with a thundering blow. Uther stood resolutely at the end of the hall piercing her with a gaze that managed to encompass indifference, utter hatred and a barely hidden well of desire. She waited silently, matching his determined posture as she stood alone in the centre of the room. Defiantly she met his eyes. He perceived this as impertinence and his controlled anger boiled over.

"You will kneel before me!" He spat at her. She noticed well enough his fists shaking at his side but Gwen steadily kept her composure.

"I am a Princess," she replied firmly, "I kneel to no man but my father and king." Uther let out an inaudible gasp. He strode forward and hit her squarely round the jaw. The force of the blow sent her flying to the floor.

"That's better," Uther said disdainfully. "I will have no one answer back to me."

"I am a Princess," she repeated calmly as she turned to look up at him from the stone floor, "you can insult me, demean me and even strike out at me but you cannot take away who I am."

"Your father abandoned you years ago. You had shamed him." Uther sneered at her. "It is only thanks to my generosity that you're still alive. He would have seen you executed to wipe away his shame."

"But that's why you kept me alive, to shame him further!" She screamed back at him. "You're a cruel, disgusting monster," Gwen yelled at the top of her voice.

Uther struck her again on the cheek. Her skin stung and her eyes watered but Gwen forced herself to meet his gaze yet again. "I keep you alive and this is how you repay me?" Uther demanded of her. "You insult me and humiliate my son in public. I think a few lashes will teach you a lesson."

*****

Arthur was walking past the great hall when he heard a muffled noise, almost like a stifled scream, coming from within. He attempted to open the doors but was checked by the guards that stood to attention at each side. The noise soon stopped and eventually the doors opened and Morgana's maid, Gwen, weakly walked past him. Her face was wan and at the sight of him her eyes widened in terror and she ran as fast as she could down the corridor away from him.

Instinctively he ran after her. He easily caught up with her and steadied her as she almost fainted from exhaustion. Arthur didn't know what to say and found himself blurting out his feelings like a babbling youth. "I should hate you," Arthur started none too diplomatically, "you beat me in public, but I can't." Gwen looked at him innocently and disbelievingly and Arthur had to fight a strong urge to wrap his arms round her to comfort her. "I respect you," he continued, "You're a formidable swordsman." She smiled feebly at him, muttered a thanks and began to walk away.

As he watched her leave, Arthur couldn't understand how a girl who had been full of such confidence mere hours ago was now reduced to an almost quivering wreck. As he thought, he glanced at his hands to find them covered with traces of blood. Shocked he called to Gwen to stop.

Gwen had just reached the end of the corridor when she heard Arthur shout. Obediently, she stopped, allowing the Prince to race up to her and skid to a halt. He examined her blood stained sleeve, the sleeve he had grasped to steady her. "Who did this to you?"Arthur demanded. She could not reply, she would not; Gwen could not have Arthur thinking badly of his father. Arthur however knew the answer even though she didn't reply and he cursed his father. Gwen just simply thought that if the whip had not caught her arm Arthur would have been none the wiser and Gwen could have returned to her quiet life.

*****

That night, Gwen excused herself from dinner and missed Merlin's dramatic saving of Arthur's life. Merlin however, recounted it so many times and in such detail that it didn't matter she had not witnessed it, she felt as though she had seen it about a million times! Merlin also told her of the blatant hostility between Uther and Arthur at the meal. This confused Merlin but Gwen was not going to explain it to him and let Merlin wallow in blissful ignorance.

*****

Long after dinner, Uther sat alone in his bedchamber drowning his sorrows. "Damn that impertinent girl," he thought slamming his goblet down on the table. Guinevere had spent six unremarkable years in Camelot as a forgotten princess reduced to a humble servant and then in less than a day she had managed to humiliate his son, insult him, turn Arthur against him (although this would probably prove to be temporary) and yet reignite his barely contained desire for her. To Uther, Guinevere was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and his caged lust was begging to be freed.

Again he slammed his goblet down in frustration. "How can she have such a hold over me?" Uther berated himself. Uther knew he should have done with it and have her executed but a small voice in his head told him that one day she might still prove to be valuable to him.

_**This will sadly be the last chapter for a long time because I have a lot of revision to do. Hopefully I will be able to start writing again after my exams and I promise there will be more romance in the upcoming chapters. **_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

That night whilst Uther sat alone in the Great Hall drowning his sorrows Gwen lay awake in her small room next to Morgana's, staring up at the plain ceiling above her. Her back throbbed dully with pain but she tried to ignore it as she thought about that fateful day six years ago when she first saw Camelot…

*****

The train of people and horses winding its way towards Camelot, the capital of Albion, was an impressive one. No expense had been spared on its extravagance and the luxury displayed mesmerised all who saw it. King Ordgar of Wessex would have no man think he could not afford to send his daughter to be married without the best entourage, horses and jewels that money could buy. Guinevere was a princess and would soon be a queen – queen of the largest and most powerful kingdom on the sacred isle, Albion.

Guinevere was only 14 but she was determined to make her father proud and do her duty towards him. She would marry King Uther and bear his sons. "Perhaps one of my sons will be king after Uther," Guinevere mused as she rode down the dusty track, "father would be so proud if I managed that." But as she thought Guinevere remembered that Uther already had a son, an apparently petulant child of 15, called Arthur. Arthur would be the next king of Albion not her sons - but a mother could always hope!

Suddenly, Guinevere was jolted out of her daydreams by a multitude of astonished gasps and cries of delight as they turned a final corner. After two weeks of travelling down dusty, worn tracks Camelot stood before them dominating the landscape. Guinevere had never seen anything so beautiful and it took her breath away. None of her father's cities were a match for the majesty and grandeur of Camelot and she could not believe that soon she would be queen of such a magnificent place.

As Guinevere and her entourage rode slowly towards Camelot, relieved that soon they would be dining in comfortable rooms and not tents erected by the roadside, the gates of the city opened and a single rider came out to meet them. Ominously, the gates of Camelot swung loudly shut behind the lone messenger.

The leader of Guinevere's train, Earl Osbert, rode quickly ahead to greet the stranger. Several minutes of tense discussion followed. The whole of Guinevere's entourage looked on concerned as the conversation appeared to become more heated. Suddenly, Osbert lashed out, hitting the messenger squarely in the face sending him tumbling off his horse. "How dare your master shame the King of Wessex – he is more of a king than yours. He would never send such a snivelling weasel like you to do his dirty work. Uther has not heard the end of this matter!" Osbert bellowed and turned in disgust back towards the train leaving the messenger to stumble away back to the safety of Camelot.

"That impudent coward..." Osbert growled as he reached Guinevere. "I am so sorry your highness," Osbert continued as he bowed slightly glancing towards Guinevere, "that swine King Uther appears to have gone back on his word and has decided..." the Earl paused not knowing what to say in order to cushion the blow, "...that he does not wish to marry you."

Those who had been listening gasped with outrage. Men started shouting challenges to the soldiers of Camelot stationed on the distant walls, calling them out in single combat to answer for this terrible slight against the Royal House of Wessex. Guinevere's maids put comforting arms around her solders whilst also throwing curses and challenges at Camelot. However, they could not relieve the stab of painful shock Guinevere had felt when Osbert had said those final words: "he does not wish to marry you."

It was not the fact that Uther did not want to marry her that hurt – she had never really wanted to marry the old man anyway – the pain was because she dreaded what her father's reaction to the news would be. More than ever she was now at her father's mercy and it was unlikely that he would show much mercy.

Guinevere was no fool – she knew her father would blame her for the shame brought upon his Royal House by Uther's rejection of her. Thus Guinevere would have to be forever hidden from sight in a convent to wipe away her father's shame or she would have to get rid of the shame by beating Uther in battle or otherwise die trying. Her father, she predicted would choose to attack Uther.

*****

Guinevere's train had only travelled back a few days on the road to Wessex when they met a small contingent of King Ordgar's cavalry blocking their path. They gave their message and commands to Earl Osbert and then sped off back to Wessex, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake. They had also left a wooden trunk that belonged to Guinevere and seeing it meant that no one could now delude themselves that Ordgar would let them return to Wessex and live out the rest of their lives quietly. That would never have been good enough to wipe away Ordgar's shame – they all had to die.

The trunk containing Guinevere's armour was heaved onto one of the carts, signalling the time to go. Solemnly the line of Guinevere's friends and attendants turned back towards Camelot knowing full well that only death awaited them there.

No one spoke for hours. All were lost in their own thoughts contemplating their fate that lay ahead. Guinevere thought of her brothers and sisters, of her mother and her friends back in Wessex and how she would have given anything to see them again, one last time before the end. She knew there was no coming back from this, her father was clearly not making a tactical offensive against Camelot – an offensive that could have been survived. If he had wanted to capture Camelot he would have sent more men to help. Although Guinevere's train was impressive at around 200 people strong, it would take thousands to lay siege to Camelot and have any chance of taking the city. This was a suicide mission and everyone knew it – to satisfy a king's pride.

*****

This time when Camelot came into view there were no gasps of delight or relief, in their place were sighs of resignation. Each person had tried to come to terms with death in the past few days of marching. Guinevere had been constantly thinking of running away, of refusing to her duty and living out her days far away from Wessex and Albion. But she knew that her father would find out somehow that she had run away and would hunt her down. She also knew that she wouldn't have been able to live with herself for abandoning her friends. Instead, she determined that she would go down fighting. Guinevere knew now that she was resigned to the fact that today would be her last day on earth and she took every chance to savour the time she had left.

Guinevere and her attendants readied for battle in plain sight of Camelot's walls. The soldiers of Albion would know full well what they were planning but as Osbert had said "that is the plan. We want to go quickly into the arms of death in glory and with honour." Guinevere was helped into her armour by her maids and when her helmet was finally buckled on; her heart was hammering in her chest so loudly as though trying to defy the death that awaited her.

Slowly the train lined up, men and women side by side, facing the walls of Camelot, each on their own trusted steed. Uther in reply had formed a formidable army at the base of Camelot's walls, whose number easily exceeded Guinevere's train, whilst bowmen stood high up on the battlements waiting patiently for Guinevere and her contingent to charge.

Guinevere was finding it hard to breath. She didn't want it to end here, like this, she so desperately wanted to live to a ripe old age, have several children and die in the arms of the one she loved. She was only 14 – it was not meant to be this way. Somehow she managed to fight back the tears and turned towards Osbert. She gave a slight nod which he returned with an attempt at a comforting smile before bellowing:

"Death awaits us my friends but we will not go quietly. We will go with dignity and honour and on our own terms. God willing we will take some of those Albion swine with us before we are through. Now...CHARGE!"

*****

At once, Guinevere's small army broke into a charge. The noise was deafening but then all she could hear was her own thudding heart. The bowmen of Camelot, as soon as the Wessex army was in range, began firing. Arrow after arrow lanced down on the charging horsemen. People were hit and thrown from their horses by the force, screaming, clutching at the arrow shaft now embedded deep within them but Guinevere did not hear them fall. Her heart kept beating, refusing to be drowned out, wanting to be heard before it would be silenced.

Guinevere lowered her lance when they were only yards from the enemy, expertly directed at a mounted soldier ahead of her. She had no idea how many of her friends and attendants were still alive but she sensed Osbert at her shoulder and felt reassured. She would make sure, as Osbert had said, that she took at least one of the 'swine' with her to hell.

The smash of impact, of armour against armour was phenomenal. Guinevere felt her lance slide into her enemy's neck and her arm snap as her horse continued to charge, the lance still stuck in the poor man's throat. It took all of her strength to remain on her horse. But now she was surrounded. Men began to attack her from all sides – desperate to capture or kill Guinevere, whose status was made clear by the small coronet on top of her helmet.

Suddenly, Guinevere was tugged from her saddle and her horse killed with one brutal blow to the mouth. Quickly she struggled to her feet, narrowly missing death at the end of a poleaxe. She drew her sword and began her fight to the death. To her right she briefly noticed that Earl Osbert had also been unhorsed and he too was determined not to die without a fight. She killed five men, each blow hitting home. But more men replaced them; she was given no quarter and in her desperation she fought her way to Osbert's side hoping for some protection from the onslaught at the battle-hardened Earl's side.

However, moments after reaching his side she watched in horror as the Earl was stabbed through the neck from behind. The Earl lurched forward blood pouring from his mouth. Frantically his hands scrabbled at his throat trying to stem the flow of blood. Now defenceless, men attacked him from every direction, showing no mercy, hacking him to death. Guinevere screamed.

Another opponent charged at her, she managed to dodge the blow but as the soldier twisted around to attack again he caught the back of her knee. The pain was unbearable and the force of the stab had sent her reeling into the mud. Wildly she swung her sword around her, trying to stop the wolves from pouncing on their prey. She struggled to her knees still swinging her sword wildly to prevent anyone getting too close. Suddenly she felt something hit her squarely on the back of her head and the world went black.

**To be continued...**

**I'm sorry this took so long to write. Hope you like it. There will be more romance in future chapters when I'm able to write them ******


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